Getting a Diagnosis for Autism in Children

The importance of a diagnosis:

Getting a diagnosis for a child can be really helpful in understanding what your child’s difficulties might be and how best they can be supported.

Sometimes children with autism might be seen as being naughty, difficult or rude and a formal diagnosis can help deal with these misconceptions as well as ensure they have the correct provisions at school. It is hard for a parent experiencing this, particularly in social situations, others may stare and give you strange looks as though you cannot keep your child under control, however we know this is not the case.

Giving your child a diagnosis will help you understand the way your child thinks and behaves much more, and provide you with the advice you need to support an autistic child.

What to expect from the autism assessment:

It is important to get an assessment with a trained professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist, who will look at all aspects of your child’s life.

The assessment will involve talking to the parents about the child’s history and current behaviours and will also involve carrying out ‘tests’ – often through play – with the child themselves.

Diagnosing Asperger's syndrome is complicated as there is no single standardized test.

At Clinical Partners we adopt a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure a comprehensive assessment is undertaken.

A tool commonly used by specialists to diagnose ASDs is the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). This is a group of structured tests that can be tailored to different age groups.

These will be completed by our team of specialists who will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of your child which will include:

• an in-depth cognitive and language test to establish IQ,
• an evaluation of:
• motor functions
• verbal and non-verbal skills (gestures and eye movement)
• use of non-literal language (metaphor, humour, irony)
• learning style
• content and clarity and coherence of conversation
• social skills (understanding others and ability to react to verbal cues)
• a review of any physical issues, development history and current symptom

Following the assessment, the clinical psychiatrist will write a full report, with recommendations and any further tests they think might be useful. Sometimes children with signs of autism may also benefit from tests for other conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or dyspraxia.

We will discuss this report with you and assist you with the recommendations to ensure that you understand all the implications and feel happy with the proposed treatment plan.